Sykes and Vermeulen Out to Turn the Utah Desert Green WSBK, Salt Lake City, USA, 24 May 2010 Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen have a shared aim as they head to the high desert of Utah for round seven of the Superbike World Championship – score strongly in each 21-lap race. Of the two official Kawasaki Racing Team riders only Tom has competed at Miller Motorsport Park before, but for everyone involved in the Superbike circus this meeting will be a new experience in one regard at least. The two 21-lap races are to be held on a Monday for the very first time, an initiative designed to increase the numbers of spectators at trackside. Monday 31st May is Memorial Day in the US, when those who have fallen for their country are remembered during what is a federal holiday. The 4.907km circuit Tom and Chris are about to face in first practice on Saturday 29th is a very different one from they left behind at Kyalami in round six. Only their relatively high elevations above sea level are shared between Kyalami and Miller. The circuit close to Salt Lake City is modern, fast, wide and for the most part flat, although the circuit designers took steps to create some elevated corners, simply to make the challenge of the venue all the more intense. Sykes has posted a season high-point of fifth so far and another result in that ballpark will be the aim of all in the team. The midpoint of the 13-round/26-race season will be met in race one then passed through in race two at Miller. After Kyalami, Vermeulen has had another few days in which to get his injured right leg close to normal operation for the first time since his big crash at round one. Chris hopes that he will be able to ride at his normal high level without any compromise in machine set-up or rider endurance to allow for his painful knee injury. Tom Sykes: “We’ve had some ups and downs this past month but I’m looking forward to racing again at Miller. Last year this was the track where the Kawasaki put in one of its best performances of the year. Both bikes managed to qualify on the second row. I have every confidence in my team and I know that we can continue along those lines and put in a consistent, solid performance at Salt Lake City. I feel that our overall package is getting stronger and stronger and if we can keep up this momentum then both the team and I will be happy. I’m really looking forward to what the weekend brings.” Chris Vermeulen: “I am looking forward to going to Miller, a new circuit for me, but with the position we are in with the bike we should go well there. I feel better all the time and getting stronger so I am looking forward to going to America. Last year’s results were good here for the team so this gives me confidence that we can take another step forward and make up some ground during qualifying, and then for the races. We also have some valuable data from last year, which will help us with our initial set-up. I’m gradually getting back to full fitness so my targets are set high for this weekend, for both myself and the team.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Lascorz and Fujiwara Target Top Finishes As round seven of the 13 round Supersport World Championship comes around Joan Lascorz approaches the USA determined to go for a race win and get back into the championship lead. Lascorz rode as hard and as well as he has done all year at the previous round in South Africa but still finished off the podium for the first time, in fifth place. He lost his championship lead last time out but such is the intensity of the battle between Joan, Kenan Sofuoglu and Eugene Laverty that there are only five points between all three of them after six rounds. For Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com) the 2010 season has featured a few ups and downs, but despite some desperate bad luck at key times, Fujiwara has recovered his true pace on his Ninja ZX-6R. ‘Kats’ hopes to mount his first successful podium attack of the 2010 season in America. This weekend is a unique one for the WSS riders, as raceday is Monday, 31 May, to coincide with the local Memorial Day federal holiday. The 4.907km Miller Motorsport Park is an impressive facility that both Joan and Katsuaki have intimate knowledge of, having raced there last year on Ninja ZX-6R Kawasaki machinery. Joan was fourth (only 1.833 seconds from the winner) and Katsuaki was 13th. Joan Lascorz: “We are looking forward to America and are completely ready to take our revenge for Kyalami. We lost good points at the last round but we did our best. We are all working hard and we should be back up front again in America. I was on pole there last year and will be focused on trying to take the race win. The championship is very close so we have to keep going for wins to get into the lead again.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “We had some issues at the previous round but we are looking at Miller, a very different track, to make up more ground. At Miller you can take wide lines so it is very different from Kyalami. Last year Joan took pole position in America and with a good set-up this year we can do well. I think Miller will be a better track for both of us than the last one was.”